The move was initiated by Deb Richter, MD, a primary care physician who moved to Vermont after giving up hope that New York would embrace a single-payor system, according to the report. Dr. Richter found Vermont lawmakers more accessible than their New York counterparts and served as the “backbone” of the grassroots effort that helped pass the bill.
Under the new system, all 620,000 of the state’s residents would be eligible for coverage, which proponents say will save money over the long run. A five-member board appointed by the governor will determine physician payment rates, which benefits to cover and other details of the system.
Gov. Shumlin is still determining how to pay for the single-payor system, the cost of which has not yet been decided. The system may be funded through a new payroll tax, according to the report. Many changes hinge on Gov. Shumlin’s re-election, especially because the new plan will likely not be implemented until 2017.
Opposition to the single-payor system will likely include insurance companies, drug makers and some employers and physicians who worry about the uncertainty of costs and reimbursement under the new system.
Read the New York Times report on Vermont’s single payor system.
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